When implementing a new system, there is a good chance you will also have to account for needing to transfer data from one system to another. This may include changing formats, types of storage, and computer systems.

There may be complications in transfering, whether changing mediums, like going from paper files to digital ones. There may aslo be incompatibility of data types in digital formats, like data stored in pdfs to go into a csv spreadsheet format, or data stored in floats trying to be input into integer formats. Other issues may arise if the data migration process times out, fails, or encounters other errors. Incompatibilities may also occur if data is misinterpretted, which for example could occur if incoporating systems from other regions, for example if an intenrational system is expectating dates to be imported as dd/mm/yyyy instead of mm/dd/yyyy or is expecting remperature data in celsius instead of farenheit.

As a result of merging, related to systems, one of the following strategies for integration will be chosen:

• both systems may be kept, with development to have the same functionality. Running both systems in parallel has high maintance costs.

• both systems may be replaced with a new system. This may result in a new system that meets the new company/organization's needs better overall, but will have higher increased initial costs, including new training for all employees.

• select the best system components from each and merge them. This provides some familarity for original employees from both, but may result in a longer period to become adjusted to the entire system due to operating by habit in some parts instead of a total change.

• select the better of the two systems, and drop the other system entirely. Those use to the dropped system may show resistance to change, and there may be policy issues. However, those already familiar with the chosen system can be resources since they are already experienced with it.